Definition
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc
Mugearite is a type of oligoclase bearing basalt, also comprising of olivine, apatite, and opaque oxides
Origin
USA
Skye, Scotland
Discoverer
Unknown
Alfred Harker
Etymology
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap
From mugear + -ite
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Opaque Rock
Texture
Polished
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular
Color
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Formation
Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock and it is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich inmagnesium.
Mugearite forms when lava reaches the Earth's surface near an active volcano. The temperature of lava is between 1100 to 1250° C when it gets to the surface.
Mineral Content
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
CaO, Mg, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Not Applicable
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
Black
White to Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Greasy
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Not Applicable
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.8-3
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand
India, Russia
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
South Africa
Europe
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Iceland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Colombia
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland
Not Yet Found
Soapstone vs Mugearite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Soapstone vs Mugearite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Soapstone and Properties of Mugearite. Learn more about Soapstone vs Mugearite in the next section. The interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Mugearite include Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes and Hotels. Due to some exceptional properties of Soapstone and Mugearite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Soapstone in construction industry include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Mugearite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.
More about Soapstone and Mugearite
Here you can know more about Soapstone and Mugearite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Soapstone and Mugearite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Soapstone includes Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Mugearite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Soapstone vs Mugearite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas, Mugearite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Mugearite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Soapstone vs Mugearite. The hardness of Soapstone is 1 and that of Mugearite is 6. The types of Soapstone are Not Available whereas types of Mugearite are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Soapstone is black while that of Mugearite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Soapstone is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Mugearite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Soapstone is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Mugearite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.
